After months of speculation, Atlanta Falcons star outside linebacker James Pearce Jr. now knows he will be sidelined for a portion of the NFL season.On Friday, Aug. 14, the NFL handed the second-year star pass rusher an eight-game regular-season suspension without pay for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, per ESPN’s Ian Rapoport. The suspension is effective on Aug. 30, the same day NFL teams must trim their active rosters down to 53 players for the season opener.Pearce’s suspension stems from a February domestic violence incident with ex-girlfriend and WNBA star Rickea Jackson, where he hit her car with his vehicle and fled from police in Doral, Fla., which is located near Miami.Miami-Dade County prosecutors filed felony charges against Pearce for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing the police, and resisting arrest, along with a misdemeanor stalking charge. In April, the court made a deal with Pearce: if he agreed to a six-month intervention and therapy program and completed it without issue, the charges would be dropped.Pearce, 22, NFL suspension announcement came just hours before Atlanta hosts its preseason opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Denver Broncos at 7 p.m. The 2025 first-round draft pick who led the Falcons with 10.5 sacks as a rookie last year is eligible to play in all preseason games. The Falcons listed him as a third-string defensive end on its official depth chart, released on Tuesday, Aug. 12.Falcons-Broncos will be broadcast on Fox 5 Atlanta, NFL+ and the ESPN App with an unlimited plan for out-of-market fans.Sign up for our free Atlanta Falcons newsletter and follow us and 30,000 Falcons fans on Facebook and X for the latest news!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow